In this case study, Cody Jang shares how San Francisco-Marin Food Bank expanded capacity, met surging demand, and improved volunteer recruitment & engagement using Get Connected's volunteer management software.
Get Connected enabled SF-Marin Food Bank to recruit 50,000 volunteers in just two years while scaling its programs across multiple locations. Additionally, they were able to log 146,000 volunteer hours during this period.
Let’s dive in!
Cody Jang is the Associate Director of Community Engagement at San Francisco-Marin Food Bank in California.
Meeting Surging Community Demand During the COVID-19 Outbreak
In February 2020, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank had just launched their new Get Connected Volunteer Site to their team of volunteers. And like many organizations, in just a matter of weeks, they would be forced to change how they conducted their daily food distribution in light of the sudden pandemic lockdown.
When they started getting updates from their county on the lockdown, they had to communicate with volunteers the rapidly changing status of their programming at each of their locations throughout the day, all while increasing requests for food distribution were coming in.
Because of their newly onboarded Get Connected volunteer site, they were able to send out direct communications to keep their volunteers updated throughout the day and the coming weeks as they pivoted to a new community-based strategy of pop-up pantries that brought food directly into neighborhoods and decreased the volume of traffic at their 2 main distribution sites.
Watch this webinar where Cody Jang and Erica Alvarez share about their volunteer department’s response and the agility their Get Connected volunteer technology provided them during this time.
4 Steps Scaling Volunteerism Amidst Changing Community Needs
Step 1: Simplifying Volunteer Sign-Up
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Before Get Connected, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank struggled with a time-consuming volunteer recruitment process.
Their outdated, custom-built system made sign-ups cumbersome, reducing engagement.
With Get Connected, volunteers could easily browse and sign up for opportunities online, reducing barriers to participation and increasing accessibility.
Step 2: Automating Scheduling and Communication
Get Connected’s automation features eliminated manual scheduling challenges. Volunteer leaders could efficiently coordinate shifts and communicate with thousands of volunteers through automated emails and notifications.
This streamlined system allowed Cody’s team to quickly schedule volunteers and fill roles, including corporate groups and home delivery drivers requiring complex scheduling and vetting.
Step 3: Scaling and Managing Complex Operations with Ease
Learn more about Get Connected's Shift-Based Volunteer Scheduling Features
Before using Get Connected, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank managed two warehouses and two volunteer programs.
Within two years, they expanded to 25 volunteer locations and six new programs, including over 20 Pop-Up Pantries across two counties.
Step 3: Using Data for Growth and Engagement
With Get Connected’s data tracking capabilities, SF-Marin Food Bank gained actionable insights to measure engagement and improve programs.
Tracking volunteer hours, participation trends, and program impact allowed Cody’s team to make data-driven decisions, ensuring resources were applied in the best possible ways for the community and that volunteers stayed engaged.
In 2022 alone, volunteers logged an impressive 146,000 hours, demonstrating the benefits of volunteer-focused technology for community leaders.
Achieving Results with Get Connected
The outcomes at San Francisco-Marin Food Bank speak for themselves:- 50,000 Volunteers Recruited in 2 Years: With Get Connected’s well-designed volunteer sign-up process, SF-Marin Food Bank mobilized a larger volunteer base than ever before at a time the community needed it most.
- Seamless Expansion to 20 Pop-Up Pantries: With simple tools that work at any scale, SF-Marin Food Bank rapidly grew its operations without overburdening staff.
- 146,000 Volunteer Hours Logged in 2022: Using Get Connected’s check-in and hour tracking features, volunteers contributed meaningful (and measurable!) time and effort, helping the food bank expand its service in the community.
- Improved Volunteer Experience: Volunteers praised the user-friendly system, increasing satisfaction and retention.
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Food Banks Meeting Community Need with Volunteer Technology
With Get Connected’s volunteer management platform, San Francisco-Marin Food Bank transformed how they recruit and manage volunteers across multiple locations.
The time saved on administrative tasks allowed Cody and his team to focus on developing innovative programs that address the root causes of food insecurity—going beyond just feeding the community.
Cody Jang is the Associate Director of Community Engagement at San Francisco-Marin Food Bank in California.
With a BA from UC Santa Cruz, Cody has held various roles in community engagement and youth development, including positions at Coaching Corps, Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco, and more.
San Francisco-Marin Food Bank has used Get Connected volunteer technology since February 2020.
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